A taste of Chicago on the South Side

That juicy and delicious thing you're looking at is an Italian Beef sandwich and the bloke  preparing it is Karl Horn.

A staple of the Windy City, the sandwich is a relative unknown here in Steel Town. Mr. Horn hopes to change that from his small 16th Street storefront on the South Side -- Tooties Famous Italian Beef -- that opened just four weeks ago on Sunday.

Chicago Italian Beef is something of a distant cousin to Buffalo's Beef on Weck or L.A.'s French Dip. Mr. Horn's take is comprised of shredded beef that’s been slow-cooked for up to a day in a family secret recipe of 12 spices and three vegetables, with pepperoncinis for a little zing, served on a hoagie bun with provolone.

"It's my mom's recipe. She's been making it my whole life," the 33-year-old entrepreneur said.

That would be his mother, Carol, a.k.a. "Tootie," for whom the shop is named.

The meat is so tender is practically liquefies in your mouth; so juicy if you don't wolf it down the bun becomes a disintegrated sponge. It’s kind of like a pot roast sandwich. Prices range from $5.95 to $12.95, depending on the size of the sammie.

A native of Mattoon, Ill., Mr. Horn landed here a few years ago to get his MBA at Duquesne University (he also teaches at the university's business school). He most recently worked in health-care consulting before realizing corporate America is not for him.       

"I got tired of emails and texts on Saturday night asking, 'Where is my report?' … I'm thinking, 'Dude, you don't need it until Monday.' "

Besides, Saturday night is a great time to be making Italian Beef sandwiches. They're proving popular with the late-night Carson Street crowd and Chicago expats in the area, and catching  on with the locals at lunchtime.

"The guys from the Boilermakers Union discovered me the other day and I had to close early," Mr. Horn said. "They ate almost everything."

Dan Gigler photo